There are, of course, times when crops do fail for a while. Jobs become hard to find. Families lack what they need. How are we to understand these in the light of God’s love? First, let us remember that the world God made was not a world of want, disease or death. He made it a place of plenty, health and life. Man’s sin, and Satan’s rule through that sin, brought into the world the suffering we see. Even for God’s own people, this is a place of “groaning” (Romans 8:22-23).
The question this world should really be asking is this: “Why should we expect anything except pain and death?” For this world is full of rebellion against its Creator.
To reject the Giver of all life should mean the loss of all life. Yet the God of great mercy keeps on letting people live on His earth. He gives them many blessings.
He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
He gives us time to learn and to turn to Him, before it is too late. Yet many are so thoughtless and so thankless that they use this time to continue sinning. They “show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience.” They fail to see that
“… God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4).
ERV: God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.